Review: The Cottingley Secret

Let’s Talk Forgiveness of the Undemanding Book:

If I struggled at times with Olivia it wasn’t enough to fault the book on the whole. Honestly, sometimes I am just more forgiving of an undemanding, escapist read and hang up my picky bitch hat for a moment. I found myself whisked away in this audiobook and it genuinely was a calming, interesting, and heartfelt time spent. Maybe it was the right book at the right time, maybe it was the fact that I’m a sucker for books narrated by calm spoken, British women … whatever the reason, I found this to be a very enjoyable read.

Let’s Talk The Real Life Mystery and Belief in Fairies:

Discovering that these fairy photographs are actually real, and very much took the world by storm in the early 1900s, absolutely extended my enjoyment and enchantment. I argue the fascination with fairies is timeless, just as alive today, and I really enjoyed Hazel’s decision to leave the interpretation of the reality or existence of magic open for your own conclusion. While she wrapped up the “mystery” in an honest, logical way, she left the possibility that magic exists in whatever way you choose to see it.

Overall Thoughts:

This light, bright, and undemanding historical fiction combines magical realism, romance, and a clue hunting mystery to yield a pleasant, easy distraction. I didn’t always enjoy the current timeline story structure with Olivia and her waffling over a fiancé she doesn’t care for, but the past timeline, centring around Hazel Gaynor’s reimagining of the creation of the Cottingley photographs, was enchanting. Furthering this spell is the fact that these photographs exist and were included in the book for reference. Whisper light prose, a sprinkling of magic, and excellent narrators resulted in an overall hopeful read with heart.

TBR Ranking: High

For Fans Of:

The Forgotten Garden

Written by Kate Morton

Published by Washington Square Press

You can find it here: Bookshop.org